A DECLARATION OF THE PROTESTATION OF MONseigneur the Marshal d'Anuille.  
WE Henry of Monmorency, Lord of danvil Marshal of France, governor and Lieutenant general for the King, in the country of Languedoc, Desiring that every man may know and understand, that the only duty and fidelity that we have borne to the service of his Majesty, and to the profit and quiet of his subjects and of his Realm, hath moved us to enter into arms against the disturbers and oppressers thereof. For this cause do declare to all Kings, Princes, and Potentates of Christendom, friends confederates, and allies of his Crown, & to all his majesties faithful subjects of what estate, quality, or condition soever they be, that having perceived these fourteen year past, and from shortly after the decease of the late King Henry of good memory, how this poor and desolate Realm hath in all sorts been afflicted and oppressed with civil wars, grounded upon the pretence and controversy of Religion, and how under this pretence hath followed the total ruin of the more part of the good Towns that have been spoiled and sacked, and some of them ofter than once, as the disordered and unsatiable passion of such as were the authors of all these miseries hath had will to enterprise and put in execution: how the edicts and ordinances made at the general assembly of the Estates at Orleans, and since that time so often renewed, as well for the pacification of the Realm, as for the governance thereof, have in all things been periurously broken: how impunity of murders, slaughters, poysonninges, raisings of tumoltes of the people, defilings of women, and maids, burnings, sackings, and other heinous doings, generally have been, and be tolerated in this Realm, by those that aught to have stayed the same, even so far as that they have suffered that cruel barbarous, and unnatural murder of the more part of the Nobility of France committed in the town of Parise, on saint barthelmew's day, in the year 1572. how poor prisoners and persons errested in form of law, within the concergeries of the Palace of Parise aforesaid, of Tolouse, Bourdeaux, Roan, Lion, and Orleans, and other Towns have been burned, slain and murdered, beside an infinity number of persons of good estate, women, children, and other citizens of the said towns, and also their goods ravenously spoiled by these that are at this day honoured, favoured, and advanced.  
How the King and his Realm are still possessed, as they have been in the time of the late Kings his brethren, by strangers which have conspired to the total subversion of his Majesty, the Princes of his blood, and his Nobility, as they have sufficiently made appear by putting them to the assaults of towns, to combats, and other hazards at their pleasure, to the intent utterly to deface the memory and wholly to usurp the estate and crown of France.  
How since the decease of the good King Henry, the Nobility hath been wholly defaced in France, and their merits and virtues despised: how strangers have been preferred before them to the charges and estates of the Crown, and of the kings household, against the ancient laws of the establishment of this Realm. Yea and which more is, the said estates have been given to some that be no gentlemen, nor have showed so much, as any small proof of any thing near to any deserving of such charge. Whereof ensueth an extreme grief to an infinite number of old Knights and Captains of France, in respect of the long services of their ancestors, and which themselves have not spared their lives, their goods, their children, their kindred and their friends, and all that they had, for the service of the King, and for the maintenance of his estate. So as briefly the country of the world that most plenteously furnished good examples to all other, is now so disordered and defiled, that in steed of recovering the ancient virtues that in time passed there abounded in all things, now no man can otherwise judge, but that the desolations and calamities, which we have suffered, have directly proceeded from the wrath of God, wholly powered out upon the people of France, by the subversion, which these strangers the governors of the Estate have brought in, and for lack of observing the order and the rule, which of ancient time have been so well established, as no province was comparable to ours, like as while the policy thereof was inveolably kept, it hath flourished and been renowned above all other nations, and since the disorder and subversion have been brought in by these new governors with their novelties, they have sought to make the kings subjects live like brute beasts, without doctrine, or observing of any thing that they aught, depriving them of such learned men as were in the Universities, either by murder, or banishment into strange countries, permitting that the Ecclesiastical persons (from whom aught to proceed to us the principal examples) neither study, nor preach, nor be resident, nor exercising themselves in any part of their duty, that their unsatiable covetise in their plurality of benefices hath free course than ever it had, that the poor, the needy, and the orphan be wholly forsaken: and all other works of charity, are by the said Ecclesiastical persons wholly rejected and eloigned: how they let out their benefices to farm, not caring to whom, and by the same mean do in their absence leave the charge of their own souls, and of their flock as it were to farmers and tenants: and chiefly how the elections ordained by the holy Counsels, and confirmed by the said ordinances of Orleans, have been repelled and revoked for the private profit of strangers, which have been, and be such as hardly they might be capable to be called by the people of France, to any charges and dignities spiritual or temporal.  
How since that justice is administered for money, and that there hath been suffered in France against our laws, that the precedent Biragne a Millanois, hath been made chancellor of France, and that all the learned and sufficient Frenchmen that might have been chosen to those charges have been rejected, we have had nothing but meschef in justice, and allowance of all the murders, slaughters, and traitorous outrages that have been executed and conspired, since he hath been in charge: briefly how all his edicts have tended only to the subversion of the Nobility and of the crown of France, both in depriving them of the liberties, in erection of offices, and in new tributes and ungracious inventions that he hath devised with certain other strangers his ministers, to brave the substance of frenchmen, to maintain (as he hath done hitherto) a division and confusion among them, and in the same to gather and maintain arms levied for the execution of his practices, by which means he hath done what in him say to created a stranger the kings Lieutenant general in his Realm, disappointing my Lord his majesties brother of the promise that was made him by the late King, by occasion whereof and of the discontentment that my said Lord gave, to wit, that he conceived thereby, he is at this day as captive, & all those that were thought affectioned to the service of the King, and to maintain that which justly belonged unto him, and to my said Lord his brother, or which have bend themselves against this tyranny, oppression, and evil counsel, as well Princes of the blood, & officers of his majesties crown, as other, have been put to death, exiled, or be detained prisoners.  
Having be on all that they were able, under false and slanderoous persuasions, in the same time of the others emprisonement, they have practised to 'cause us to be slain by the Count Martinnengues, and diverse other expressly sent to this town of Montpellier to make us to be prisoned, or to be murdered in a tumult of the people (a thing so commonly known as every man can depose it) howbeit this is a particular matter where with we will not now intermeddle, dealing only with the general, and referring this to time and place for us convenient, to debate this cause and all the rest concerning us, and to make it known to his Majesty that without just occasion, this mischievous treason and conspiracy hath been attempted.  
Now we having lately journeyed into Piedmont, to his majesties presence (by his commandment, at such time as he returned from Poloigne into his own Realm) to understand his good pleasure, and to give him advise, as he required us by writing from Venize, of the means that then were to appease the troubles of his Realm, according to his inclination to so good intent by himself sufficiently published, and made known to his subjects, & to Princes and Potentates strangers and his allies, his Majesty had diverse times done us so great honour, to assure us of this his so sincere and laudable intention, to enter with peace, and to embrace the unity of his said subjects of both Religions, to make them partakers of the benefit and quietness that he meant to them, in such sort that we looked for nothing, but this universal good at our return from the town of Suze to this our government, there to attend (as his Majesty had expressly commanded us for these, whom it should please him to sand to assist us, & to seek the means of the said pacification. But he being still in the power of those that had counseled the late King, to the oppression and ruin of his Estates, hindering the fruit of his good purpose, they have contemned as they yet daily do continued, the execution of their practices and devices, consuming wholly the finances of France in the entertening of an army in a manner all of strangers, as Suyssers, Reisters, and Piedmontois. One part of which army is conducted into this country of Languedoc by the lord d'Vzes, a man known among frenchmen for one that under colour of the Religion reformed, which he feigned himself to follow in times past, hath ruined, spoiled, and sacked all the good towns of this country, defaced and beaten down all the fair monasteries, and Church's cathedral and collegiate, and taken and rob the jewels that were in them, which now failing him, therewith also have failed his religion and godliness that he pretended to embrace, and also the cruel and miserable death of the lord of Bodinay his brother: and he hath accepted this charge to the intent to continue with these oppressers and disturbers of France the ruin thereof.  
On the other side, into Provence is conducted a part of the said army by the Marshal of Gondy, a stranger to this Realm, to whom this charge (as it is easy to perceive) hath been committed for the distrust that hath been had of those of that country, which would be executioners of so mischievous purposes for the subversion of the same.  
Whereupon having been made to us sundry declarations and exhortations, as well on the behalf of the Princes of the blood, officers of the Crown, and Pairs of France, as also of all the provinces of this Realm, which know the imminent destruction of the King and of his estate at hand, if necessary remedy thereto be not speedily provided. We as an officer of the Crown, a natural Frencheman, and descended of the first Christians and barons of France, which from time beyond all memory have had before their eyes in singular recommendation the protection, preservation, and defence of their Kings & their Crowns, which we desire by the help of God, to follow in all that we possibly may:  
Having well considered that the controversy which is in this Realm for matter of Religion, neither can nor aught to be determined by arms, but by a holy and free counsel general or national, and likewise that it is most requisite that there be an establishment of all things in their first estate, by the advise and deliberation of an assembly of the states general, the only remedy to appease troubles, and the only pillar and upholding of the King and of his Crown, whatsoever the tyrants, flatterers, and clokers of truth can say to the contrary.  
We having an extreme grief to see his Majesty possessed, by persons that have so small regard unto him, that they publicly abuse his sacred name, to cover their ungracious intention, unsatiableness and ambition, Have embraced the common protection, preservation and defence of the Crown, and of the said good and natural subjects, as well of the one Religion as of the other, of what quality or condition soever they be, against the said strangers, evil counsels, oppressers and violaters of the unity and common quiet of this said Realm, and of the liberty of my Lord the kings brother, the King of Navarre, my Lord the prince of Conde, and other Princes of the blood, officers of the Crown, Lords, Gentlemen, and other Captains' prisoners and exiled, as is aforesaid.  
Calling to our succour and aid all kings Princes, and Potentates of Christendom, friends and confederates of this Crown, and all the faithful subjects of the same, hoping that God will give us the grace by arms to come to a good accord of Religion, to the unity and restoring of this Realm in the former estate, by the determination of a holy and free counsel general or national, and by the deliberation and advise of the general assembly of the estates of France.  
We notify to all the said subjects of his Majesty, of what estate, condition or quality soever they be, to all the Provinces, Towns, and Commonalties of this Realm, that will favour, aid, and assist us in this so good, so just, and so virtuous enterprise, for the public weal of his said Majesty, and of all his Realm, that they shallbe pre served, maintained, and kept in all liberties of their conscience, exercise of their Religion, as well Catholiks as Reform, according as shallbe particularly advised at this next assembly general, by us assigned in this town of Montpellier, and in the full and free enjoying of their dignities, estates, goods fruits, revenues, and profits, as well Ecclesiastical as other, without exception of any whatsoever, and from this time as also from thenceforth we have taken and do take and admit them under the Kings and our protection and safeguard. As also we declare that they which shall show themselves contrary to us, and our commandments to the purpose above said, shallbe run upon as enemies of the estate and crown of France, and disturbers of the unity and common peace.  
At Montpellier 1575.  The blood of our brethren crieth out of the earth.